The discovery of an unauthorized bank account at H.E. McCracken Middle School has prompted a police investigation to find answers — including whether Principal Phillip Shaw, whose been on paid leave for undisclosed reasons since Nov. 8, is connected.

The Beaufort County School District unearthed the account in a review of school operations Nov. 20 and turned the matter over to the Bluffton Police Department on Friday to bring to light details about who set it up and how it’s being used, said spokesman Jim Foster, who couldn’t provide details about deposits or expenditures.

"We came to a point when we couldn’t determine that because the bank wouldn’t talk to us because it's not our account," he said. "We don’t have the authority. Law enforcement does."

He wouldn’t tell what prompted the review in the first place, saying only “personnel matters,” but he said the discovery of the account was not connected to Shaw’s taking of leave.

Shaw continues collecting his $93,744 salary while Assistant Principal Joseph Warfield leads the school. The district previously indicated to parents that his leave would conclude before the Thanksgiving holiday, though district officials won’t say whether the extension connects Shaw to the unauthorized account.

Foster renewed the district’s stance against revealing whether Shaw took leave voluntarily or was forced out.

School leaders and bookkeepers at each school have access to an account for student activities and emergencies, both of which come under scrutiny from district-level officials for every expenditure, Foster said.

At this point the district can’t say whether the creation of the account is a criminal offense or just a violation of policy, Foster said. Information on the “personnel matters” that prompted the initial review as well as new details about the unauthorized account will be released “if we get to a point where the public’s need to know outweighs privacy,” Foster said.